Roseheart

Roseheart A story about family set in the s and told through the sardonic voice of Valerie Kjos She s a young Midwestern Gen X er whose life is just barely coming together with her boyfriend when his Iran

Title: Roseheart

Author: Catherine Dehdashti

ISBN: 9780986368677

Page: 132

Format: Paperback

A story about family, set in the 1990s, and told through the sardonic voice of Valerie Kjos She s a young Midwestern Gen X er whose life is just barely coming together with her boyfriend when his Iranian mother, Goli, comes for a visit that seems to never end.Valerie will have to decide what s important doing everything her own way, or her beloved Naveed and his livA story about family, set in the 1990s, and told through the sardonic voice of Valerie Kjos She s a young Midwestern Gen X er whose life is just barely coming together with her boyfriend when his Iranian mother, Goli, comes for a visit that seems to never end.Valerie will have to decide what s important doing everything her own way, or her beloved Naveed and his live in mother, who might not approve if she knew everything about her But as she s about to learn, Goli has secrets of her own.Roseheart has been compared t Bridget Jones s Diary, by Helen Fielding Funny in Farsi, by Firoozeh Dumas or Welcome to My Planet Where English is Sometimes Spoken, by Shannon Olson The culinary imagery in Roseheart has also drawn connections to The Language of Baklava by Diana Abu Jaber.

1 thought on “Roseheart”

Valerie is a girl in perpetual motion with strong Minnesota ties and a desire to express herself. With life heading in one direction, a chance encounter, albeit unexpected, gives her a new lease on life with a man she said she'd never date because he was a customer. How Val and Naveed deal with a bit of neurosis, hilarious situations and their life with Goli (Naveed's Iranian mother) is an illustration that family is what you make it. There are some laugh out loud moments mixed with very emotion [...]

See full review at Shellyback booksA quirky fun and relaxing read. If life is a journey this is Valerie’s journey. The diary like chic-lit writing style gives it a certain Bridget Jones diary feel. Whilst I am not really a fan of chic lit, preferring fiction with more substance I did enjoy this novel. In true chic lit style it is written in the first person, and Valerie the main character is likeable, amusing and being far from perfect easy to relate to. The identity of Roseheart pictured on t [...]

Rating: 4 of 5 starsA good weekend read, great for bookclub.You can usually tell if you're going to like a book from the first page. A pretty cover is all good and well, and a thought-provoking poem might tilt you one way or the other, but that opening page is where you shake hands with a book and decide if you're going to stick around for a drink or make up some kind of excuse and leave (that is, unless you're reading Ayn Rand or E.L James, in which case you must immediately run screaming from [...]

[3.5/5] My favourite element of this book was the infusion of multiple cultures, as being a Muslim in a Western country it was something I could understand firsthand. It's difficult to find a book like this that is so open to diversity and exploring different cultures. Also the focus on family was realistic and made me remember how valuable and important family is and how sometimes we can take it for granted. Valerie reminded me that although at times I feel suffocated by my family, they are our [...]

Roseheart, Catherine DehdashtiReview from Jeannie Zelos book reviews Genre: Women's Fiction, Literature/Fiction (Adult)I’m a bit on the fence with this read. I didn’t really feel drawn in to the book, feel the characters and situations were real. I felt Valerie and Naveed were together as much for convenience that for love. I just didn’t feel that pull between them, that tension and edginess that sparks in a new relationship, and somehow they just seemed to drift into living together. I di [...]

Disclosure: I was asked to read this book by the author.Reading Roseheart was like pulling on that old comfortable sweatshirt that you never quite want to toss out. Maybe it was the familiarity of the 80's and 90's era in which the book was set, or the Minneapolis, Minnesota setting, but I felt as if I were reading about an alternate path my life could have taken.I think I'll read it a second time, though, this time with an eye towards identifying the motivation of the main character Valerie, be [...]

"This is Minnesota and I'm a stereotypical reticent Minnesotan. This home is also Iran, where elders must be revered and respected. I must stay within the boundaries of both of these cultures, but this soap game is a pressure valve." So says main character Valerie Kjos Shushtari in Catherine Dehdashti's wonderful debut novel. Valerie acutely feels the push and pull of two very different cultures, and struggles to find a comfortable place in between. Deshdati explores the ups and downs of such an [...]

Just finished this debut novel and loved it. A free spirited, young woman (Valerie) falls in love with a Persian man (Naveed) who is handsome and kind and also very good to his mother. Her life soon changes as she learns the joys and complexities of living with her new husband and an extended visit from hermother in law Goli. Funny and tender it was a joy to read. I enjoyed the familiar Minnesota metro setting and the window into Iranian culture and cuisine. Well written and strong characters. I [...]

Terrific debut novel by a Minnesotan author about Valerie a funny, free spirited young woman who falls in love with Naveed a handsome, Iranian man. She soon learns the joys and complexity of being love with someone from another culture who has a mother with a fondness for long visits and strong opinions. Lively, funny and full of interesting characters and information on Persian culture and cuisine. A good first novel. I hope she writes some more.

*** Copy provided by NetGalley for an honest review ***This book was quirky, fun and well thought out, but it fell short for me. It's about family, and life and just getting on, but I found it all a bit meh. That said, it was REALLY well written and im sure im not the target audience so maybe some one else might find this a five star read, but it just wasnt for me.

I won this book through First ReadsWhen I first opened the book and started reading it I thought for sure that I was not going to like this book, but I gave it a little bit of time and I ended up loving it! Could not put it down! I honestly laughed out loud.

Catherine Dehdashti weaves a wonderful tale of love, family, and the process of trying to learn to respect one's self. Valerie's journey throughout the novel feels real - she's far from perfect (and at times isn't even likeable), but that's what makes her so magnetic and so relateable. She has such a wonderful arc - it's lovely to get to know all of the characters in the novel and spend time with them. All in all, a heartwarming story. *I received this book through the First Reads program.

Roseheart is a very apt title for Catherine Dehdashti's hilarious and heartfelt novel. I was immediately drawn in by the book's conversational style and verbiage. Catherine thinks, acts, and talks like many of my closest friends throughout my life. I felt like I knew her and was very interested to see how she would handle the challenge of blending two very different cultures into one happy family. The book is written from the point of view of the main character Valerie, a Minnesota native in her [...]

I enjoyed this story of a young 20-something living in the Twin Cities area of Minnesota during the 1990s. Valerie meets Naveed through her waitressing job in Dinkytown, a neighborhood business area near the University of Minnesota. Eventually she decides to move in with Naveed in part due to the circumstance of losing her roommate and needing a new apartment. But, the challenge comes when Naveed's mother, Goli Joon, comes to live with them. Naveed is Iranian and in that culture, one always welc [...]

This novel contains a very smooth and light writing style and is filled with wonderful and interesting detail about day to day life and family relationships for a woman living with an Iranian man living in the United States. I enjoyed it because, after having been stationed in Iraq for five years, it brought back many memories of living in the Middle East and of the people there, their mannerisms, habits, food, customs and so many things which make people from that region enjoyable to be around. [...]

A taste of Persia which promised so much but in my opinion failed to deliver. Snippets of life of the family of Valerie Kjos aspiring writer and the Persian family she becomes part of. Sections were slightly humorous however it just felt like it was trying too hard to be funny. Advance copy received from publisher

A story about family, love, and friendship, Roseheart is filled with quirky, memorable characters and fantastic details on Persian culture and cuisine. Dehdashti's writing voice is mesmerizing and her ability to unravel a story while providing fun character history makes the novel difficult to put down. I truly enjoyed this author's debut and look forward to reading more of her work.